Level-5 releases court scenes from its upcoming puzzle crossover

Level-5 has entered new finger-pointing footage from Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney for the 3DS, proving conclusively the game actually exists, and is not just a gorgeously animated hoax on law abiding puzzle fans. Feast your eyes on what could be the most geektastic collaboration in years, nay, all of recorded history...

As the trailer indicates, Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney will take the popular brainiacs and their sidekicks Luke and Maya to Labyrinth City, a medieval location where they will encounter an alleged witch named Mahoney and a villain who can seemingly alter reality with a pen stroke, known as the Story Teller.

Nearly a year has passed since Level-5 teased fans with the reveal of its Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright crossover for the 3DS. And while the debut trailer gave us a taste of its visual style, and last week's screenshots chipped away at the game's storyline, this video is the closest we've come to seeing the top-hatted Professor and the spikey haired Ace Attorney in playable form.

Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney has only been confirmed for release in Japan next year, but an English-language press release spotted at Capcom's TGS 2011 booth all but promised a western release date down the road.